Better hearing, less constipation and other surprising benefits of exercise

By Robert J. Davis

Updated 11:57 AM ET, Thu March 15, 2018

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Photos:Would you try these weird workouts?

Retired army members take part in a laughing yoga session ahead of 2017 World Laughing Day. Studies have shown that mirthful laughter, the kind that stems from real joy, relieves stress, lightens mood and confers health benefits.

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Photos:Would you try these weird workouts?

Goat yoga participants try to stay in a yoga pose as a young goat walks over them at the Welcome Home Ranch in Arizona.

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Stephanie Moser, second from right, hoops during an evening hooping class in Pittsburgh. Hula hooping has become hip again, with clubs across the US bringing together hoop aficionados and DVDs incorporating hoops as a way to fight obesity.

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Photos:Would you try these weird workouts?

Atiya Hodges, center, teaches a pole dancing class at Taboo Dance & Fitness in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Experts say the class is a demanding one that requires skill and technique, which in turn uses energy.

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People enjoy aerial yoga using hammocks suspended from the ceiling in Tokyo. The trend is also called antigravity yoga.

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Trampolining is another class gaining popularity, promising an active and intense workout.

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Women practice swimming with mermaid tails at AquaMermaid swimming school in Chicago. Fitness experts believe any class engaging people in long-lost passions or curiosities will benefit the health of a population.

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Story highlights

Numerous studies have linked regular exercise to a lower risk of colds

Regular exercise improves the ability to fall asleep, as well as sleep duration and quality

(CNN)Periodically, we see reports that scientists are closer to developing a pill that would mimic the benefits of exercise.

The truth is that no medication or supplement even comes close to exercise for being able to do so much for so many people -- or probably ever will.

While we've all heard that regular exercise can improve heart health and strengthen muscles, it can also enhance the quality of your life in a number of ways. Five such benefits may surprise you.

Sounder sleep

The headline of a survey by the National Sleep Foundation said it best: "Exercise is good for sleep." In the poll of 1,000 people, those who exercised the most vigorously reported the best sleep quality overall. And they were less likely than non-exercisers to say that in the past two weeks, they had experienced problems such as trouble falling asleep or waking during the night.

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These findings are supported by a review of 66 studies on exercise and sleep. It concluded that regular exercise is comparable to sleep medication or behavioral therapy in improving the ability to fall asleep, as well as sleep duration and quality.

Photos:Tips for better sleep

Photos:Tips for better sleep

Setting an alarm might be the only thing that helps you get up in the morning, but try setting one at night to remind you when it's time to go to bed. Click through our gallery for other tips for better sleep.

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Did you know that having warm feet can help you sleep? Pull on a pair of socks before bed to speed up how quickly you'll fall asleep.

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Even the smallest amount of light can disrupt your sleep patterns. Keep your bedroom as dark as possible for the best night's sleep.

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Exercise regularly? You'll sleep better. Even a few minutes of physical activity a day can help.

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Paint your bedroom a tranquil color to make your room a restful one.

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Naps, when limited to 30 minutes and not too close to bedtime, won't interrupt your nightly sleep routine.

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Yoga can help you wind down at the end of the day and calm your mind, which also slows your breathing and heart rate for better sleep.

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Get some sunlight first thing in the morning. It triggers your brain to stay awake and alert early in the day and helps you ease into sleep a little earlier at night.

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Researchers aren't sure why, but they suspect that physical activity may help by affecting body temperature, metabolic rate, heart rate or anxiety level, among other things.

Because exercise also revs up your body, conventional wisdom has it that exercising in the evening can interfere with sleep. But research in young adults as well as older people has failed to support this assertion.

Of course, everyone is different, so it's possible that nighttime exercise may make it harder for you to sleep. But the only way to know is to try. You may be pleasantly surprised at what a little pre-bedtime sweat can do for your sleep.

Fewer colds

You may have heard fitness buffs claim that they never get sick. This may seem like baseless -- not to mention annoying -- boasting, but there is scientific truth to it. Numerous studies have linked regular exercise to a lower risk of colds.

For example, a study that followed 1,000 adults for three months found that those who did aerobic exercise at least five days a week were about half as likely to develop colds as those who didn't exercise. And when exercisers did catch colds, they had fewer and less severe symptoms than their couch-potato peers.

These studies, which show associations but not cause and effect, are corroborated by randomized trials on exercise and colds. In one such experiment, sedentary postmenopausal women were assigned either moderately intense exercise (such as brisk walking) five days a week or once-a-week stretching. By the final three months of the 12-month study, those doing regular exercise reported having substantially fewer colds than the stretchers.

Photos:Sweat out the stress

Photos:Sweat out the stress

Research shows that higher-intensity exercise offers increased mood-enhancing benefits. And there's nothing quite like taking out your stress on a heavy bag, which provides uniquely satisfying tactile and auditory stimulation.

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Tabata drills, created by Japanese scientist Izumi Tabata as a form of HIIT training, consist of the same exercise -- such as pushups -- through eight rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for a total of four minutes.

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Slamming medicine balls serves as a core-focused total-body exercise. Slams can be done from standing, kneeling or half-kneeling stances. Dana Santas demonstrates her favorite version of standing, rotational slams.

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Sprints are another good way to work off stress. Because of the energy system used for sprinting, it's necessary to rest much longer to replenish your body's resources.

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The flowing, rhythmic nature of kettlebell swings can feel like meditation in motion. It may look simple, but be sure to use proper form to avoid injury.

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Box jumps are exactly what they sound like: jumping up on a box. The goal is not to achieve a high height for low reps but to jump repeatedly for higher reps with grace and control, landing softly each time.

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Research in animals and humans suggests that exercise chases away colds by boosting the immune system. At the same time, very intense activities may suppress immunity by increasing levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

Though this is a potential issue for elite athletes or people who do marathons or triathlons, the level of activity among most exercisers -- even if it's vigorous -- is far more likely to keep colds at bay than bring them on.

Healthier eyes

When you hear about a connection between exercise and eyesight, maybe you picture those eye exercise programs that promise to sharpen your vision. But that's not what we're talking about. Instead of moving your eyes, the idea is to move your feet.

Research shows that people who are physically active have a lower risk of cataracts. For example, a study of nearly 50,000 runners and walkers found that those who exercised most vigorously were 42% less likely to develop cataracts than those who exercised the least vigorously. Exercisers who fell in the middle in terms of intensity were also at reduced risk, though to a lesser degree.

The same researcher found a similar benefit regarding age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss also known as AMD, in a study of nearly 42,000 runners. The more people ran, the more their risk of the condition declined. A different study, which followed roughly 4,000 people for 15 years, showed that participants who were physically active were less likely to develop AMD than those who weren't active.

Scientists aren't sure why exercise protects against cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. One possibility is that it reduces inflammation, which is associated with both conditions.

Cataracts and AMD have also been linked to risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including elevated blood sugar and triglycerides, which regular exercise can improve. Further, some research suggests that people who are overweight or obese are more prone to cataracts and AMD, so physical activity may help by preventing weight gain.

Exercise may protect against hearing loss by improving blood flow to the cochlea, the snail-shaped structure in the inner ear that converts sound waves into nerve signals that are sent to the brain. What's more, it may prevent the loss of neurotransmitters, which carry those signals between nerve cells. Exercise may also help by reducing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, both of which are linked to hearing loss.

Of course, blasting music into your ears while you exercise could have the opposite effect and do damage to your hearing. Noise-canceling headphones are a good option because they reduce the need to turn up your music as much. But don't use them while exercising on a busy road. By being unaware of approaching traffic, you could be subjecting yourself to a risk far more serious than loud music.

Better bathroom habits

The place to start, naturally, is No. 1: Though high-impact activities such as jumping or running can cause women to leak urine, research shows that moderate exercise may decrease the risk. For example, a study of middle-aged female nurses found that those who were physically active had lower rates of urinary incontinence than women who were inactive. A study of older nurses by the same team of researchers yielded similar findings.

A urinary problem familiar to many middle-aged and older men is nocturia, the need to get up more than once a night to pee. Often, the cause is an enlarged prostate, a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Exercise can help prevent nocturia or reduce its severity.

In a large study of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, those who were physically active for an hour or more per week were less likely to report nocturia than those who were sedentary. Likewise, a study of sedentary older men found that after eight weeks of daily walking, they urinated less frequently during the night.

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Another common bathroom-related problem for both men and women is constipation, which exercise can help improve as well. In a study of 62,000 women, those who reported daily physical activity were nearly half as likely to experience constipation as women who exercised less than once a week. A randomized trial involving inactive middle-aged men and women with chronic constipation found that those assigned to a 12-week exercise program were able to poop more easily.

Exercise helps by decreasing transit time. That's how long it takes food to move through the digestive tract -- not, as it sounds, the amount of time it takes to get to work. Alas, a shorter commute is one benefit that exercise may not have -- unless, of course, biking to work is faster for you than driving in heavy traffic.